(PCM) Academy Award-nominated writer-director Terrence Malick produces The Better Angles, a biographical drama from director A.J. Edward depicting the early life of the 16th president of the U.S., Abraham Lincoln.
The Better Angels opened to mixed but generally positive reviews after its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014 and will open in select theaters nationwide starting November 7.
Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter critiqued the film shortly after it’s premiere saying, “Thanks to its indelible image-making and dedication to what could be termed lyrical realism, The Better Angels notably succeeds in creating a vivid impression of the physical and familial circumstances that crucially shaped the heart and mind of the future 16th president, which was certainly the filmmakers’ central goal.”
Having worked together previously on The Tree of Life, To the Wonder, Terrence Malick and A.J. Edwards have also teamed up for Malick’s upcoming romance-drama starring Christian Bale, Knight of Cups. With the developing working relationship between Malick and Edwards, critics have been quick to point out the prevalence of Malick’s style in the first time writer-director’s premiere film.
Guy Lodge explored the similarities between Malick’s style and Edwards’ film in his HitFix review of The Better Angels: “It’s shot in black and white, which is something Malick hasn’t done before, but the camerawork’s gliding kineticism and porous absorption of light are dreamily familiar, or familiarly dreamy — as are the film’s preference for hushed narration over already spare dialogue, catholic appropriation of classical music and irregular, spiritually preoccupied narrative. A.J. Edwards is a student of Terrence Malick, and he doesn’t care who knows it.”
Produced by Terrence Malick and directed by A.J. Edwards, The Better Angels stars Wes Bentley, Brit Marling, Diane Kruger, Jason Clarke, and Braydon Denney. Watch the official trailer for The Better Angels and read the official synopsis below.
Indiana, 1817. The entire nation, only 40 years old and a few years removed from a second war of independence, is raw. Men, women, and children alike must battle nature and disease to survive in remote log cabins. This is young Abraham Lincoln’s world.
Spanning three years of the future president’s childhood, The Better Angels explores his family, the hardships that shaped him, the tragedy that marked him forever, and the two women who guided him to immortality.
Written and directed by A.J. Edwards, The Better Angels delves into visual and narrative poetry to express the Lincolns’ world. The stark wilderness they inhabit comes alive in stunning black-and-white cinematography, and the story follows the lyrical course of the characters, who struggle physically and emotionally.
They are forced to take on new additions to the family, learning what acceptance and empathy really mean. With an elegant touch and extreme attention to historical accuracy, Edwards shows the austerity of the era and reveals what shaped one of history’s most distinctive leaders.
The Better Angels opens in select U.S. theaters November 7, 2014. Visit the official website for more info!
The post ‘The Better Angels’ Portrays the Hardships Faced By Young Abraham Lincoln also appeared on PCM Reviews.